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Extremists Co-Opt Hurricane Response to Blame Israel, Incite a Storm of Hateful Narratives
Right-wing extremists have been exploiting the devastation surrounding Hurricane Helene — a storm that has so far claimed the lives of at least 230 people in the southeast U.S.— and now Hurricane Milton, to advance antisemitic or anti-Israel conspiracy theories that federal disaster assistance has been slow or inadequate because they believe the U.S. is sending funds and personnel to Israel instead.
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How Foreign Operations Are Manipulating Social Media to Influence Your Views
Foreign influence campaigns, or information operations, have been widespread in the run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Influence campaigns aim to shift public opinion, push false narratives or change behaviors among a target population. Russia, China, Iran, Israel and other nations have run these campaigns by exploiting social bots, influencers, media companies and generative AI.
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Governments Respond to Multiple Claims on Helene
Bad actors coming in behind hurricanes in North Carolina to spread false claims is nothing new. This time, the White House felt the need to respond.
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Fact-Checking the Viral Conspiracies in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
Buoyed by firebrands like Alex Jones and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Helene stirred up a toxic stew of conspiracy theories and culture war politics.
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Some Online Conspiracy-Spreaders Don’t Even Believe the Lies They’re Spewing
There has been a lot of research on the types of people who believe conspiracy theories, and their reasons for doing so. But there’s a wrinkle: My colleagues and I have found that there are a number of people sharing conspiracies online who don’t believe their own content.
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Online Misinformation Most Likely to Be Believed by Ideological Extremists: Study
There has been a dramatic rise of online misinformation, but the influence of misinformation is not universal. Rather, users with extreme political views are more likely than are others to both encounter and believe false news.
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Online Signals of Extremist Mobilization
Olivia Brown’s study analyses the online behaviors of individuals who mobilized to right-wing extremist action, revealing that discussions about violent actions and logistical planning, rather than ideological content, are key indicators of mobilization.
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Research Showing Facebook's News-Feed Algorithm Curbs Election Misinformation Debunked
Though Facebook can limit untrustworthy content, new research suggests it often chooses not to. A flawed Meta-funded research helped to create the misperception, widely reported by the media, that Facebook and Instagram’s news feeds are largely reliable sources of trustworthy news.
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Neo-Nazi Telegram Users Panic Amid Crackdown and Arrest of Alleged Leaders of Online Extremist Group
An analysis by ProPublica and FRONTLINE shows a surge in activity on Telegram channels aligned with the Terrorgram Collective, as allies tried to rally support for their comrades in custody and sought to oust users they believed to be federal agents.
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California Laws Target Deepfake Political Ads, Disinformation
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three pieces of legislation restricting the role that artificial intelligence, specifically deepfake audio and video recordings, can play in election campaigns.
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Toll of QAnon on Families of Followers
Political conspiracy theories have long found receptive audiences in the U.S., often on the fringes of society. Among the best-known today is QAnon, a set of fabricated claims that a group of Satan-worshiping pedophiles controls American politics and media. At its center is an anonymous oracle known as “Q.” New book by Nieman Fellow explores pain, frustration in efforts to help loved ones break free of hold of conspiracy theorists.
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Five Disinformation Tactics Russia Is Using to Try to Influence the U.S. Election
The White House’s recent exposure of Russian attempts to influence this year’s U.S. presidential election will come as little surprise to anyone who followed disinformation tactics during the last U.S. election. The practices alleged by DOJ has become standard practice in Russian attempts to influence international audiences.
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The Accelerationists’ App: How Telegram Became the “Center of Gravity” for a New Breed of Domestic Terrorists
From attempting to incite racially motivated violence to encouraging attacks on critical infrastructure, the alleged crimes planned and advertised by extremists on Telegram go far beyond the charges facing CEO Pavel Durov.
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Conspiracy, Fake News, Crime: Why Is Telegram Controversial?
Telegram has been used by all sides in Russia, both pro-and anti-government groups. The arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in Paris has left Russia’s opposition worried. But the messaging app is well known for its drawbacks.
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As Tools for Hybrid Threats, Apps Like Telegram Must Be Accountable
Once celebrated as the ultimate tool for free communication thanks to its encryption and lax moderation practices, Telegram now stands accused by French authorities of facilitating criminal activities and possibly being exploited for hybrid threats, particularly by Russian state actors. Hybrid threats blend military force with non-military tactics including cyberattacks and disinformation.
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